Satellite equipment specialist Newtec has been selected by Gazprom Space Systems (GSS), in a competitive tendering process, to provide the equipment for a new VSAT Platform to be run via the Yamal-402 satellite.
Whilst the GSS network will utilise Ku-band (via the Yamal-402), the terminals can be adapted, the company claims, to function with higher throughput Ka-band frequencies
As per the contract, Newtec will provide the VSAT system including hub, modems and antennas for the project.
Russia is a large country and having internet access in the remote areas at an affordable price is essential. Until this year only expensive professional VSAT installations in limited hot spots in the Moscow and Saint Petersburg regions were available. GSS plans to offer satellite broadband access services to local ISPs that will in turn supply services to consumers and enterprise customers within the Yamal-402 footprint, which covers the whole of Russian territory.
Dmitriy Sevastiyanov, Director General, Gazprom Space Systems said. “Together with our engineers we were looking for a strong partner who could offer low cost terminals, a fast network roll out and user-friendly network management system to name just a couple of criteria that were important to us. During the tender process Newtec VSAT platform turned out to be the best choice for us.”
Dmitriy completed: “We are looking forward to bringing in a competitive, scalable service offering in 2013 for our ISP customers in Russia. Our main priority is to satisfy technological needs of Gazprom to whom we propose in particular professional applications like SCADA.”
In 2012, Newtec started shipping its new Ka-band VSAT broadband technology. Whilst the GSS network will utilise Ku-band (via the Yamal-402), the terminals can be adapted, the company claims, to function with higher throughput Ka-band frequencies by a simple change of the interactive LNB and with no hardware adaptation to the modem and the antenna.
Serge Van Herck, CEO of Newtec, said: “We have shipped well over 100,000 terminals worldwide. We are pleased to be partnering with Gazprom Space Systems on this new exciting long-term project that will see choice and availability of broadband across Russia increase.”
The Yamal-402 satellite, located at 55° east, was launched by GSS in December 2012 and is equipped with 46 Ku-band transponders with four fixed and one steerable beam.
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